New contracts expected for Toews, Kane: report

NHL.com

New contracts expected for Toews, Kane: reportChicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews and right wing Patrick Kane are signed through next season, but a new contract for each could be signed as early as next week, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Monday.

Toews and Kane each signed five-year contracts with Chicago on Dec. 3, 2009, and the Sun-Times reported they very well may agree to new deals on the same day again. Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman told the newspaper earlier this month that he would like to have both players signed by July 1.

"We've been kind of going hand-in-hand almost our entire careers," Toews said from Las Vegas on Monday. Toews is in Las Vegas for the 2014 NHL Awards Show on Tuesday. "When we came in as rookies, and we've just been included in the same discussion for a lot of things, namely our second contract, and probably this time again. The chances of that are good. But at the end of the day, he's got his own needs and his own family, and you have to respect that as well."

Next Tuesday is the first day Kane and Toews and eligible to sign new contracts. They finished second and third on the Blackhawks in scoring this season behind right wing Patrick Sharp. Kane had 69 points (29 goals, 40 assists) in as many games; Toews went 28-40-68 in 76 games.

"I'm not going to get into details as far as predicting when it's going to happen," Toews said. "Stan probably has a lot on his docket as the manager of our team, so he's trying to get things done. For us as players, Kaner and I will take it slow and make the right decision. We don't know what that process is going to entail exactly, but I think everyone knows we love Chicago and we understand how much we've been given by the organization and fans. We want to be there for as long as we possibly can be, hopefully our entire careers. That's the priority right there."